2 Interview with AREU’s New Director, Dr Paula Kantor 4 Feature: Pashto-Language Publishing, by Dr Jamil Alkozai 7 Research News 8 Current AREU Research 10 New AREU Publications 11 New Publications and Resources

11 Cross-Cutting and General Agriculture 12 Economic Development and Finance 14 Education Foreign Relations Governance and Politics 15 Health 16 Law, Justice and the Legal System 17 Maps Migration Natural Resources Management 18 Opium 19 Security 21 Water Women

22 Updated Population Estimates for Afghanistan

Number 18, July 2008

Afghanistan Research Newsletter

AFGHANISTAN RESEARCH AND EVALUATION UNIT Improving Afghan Lives Through Research

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Interview with AREU’s New Director, Dr Paula Kantor

Interviewed by Chris Bassett, AREU

What inspired your interest in Afghanistan?

It was a dual interest, both in Afghanistan as a country and in my discovery of AREU as an institution. Before I came to AREU in 2005, I had been working in academia (both through study and through my professional life) for about ten years, conducting my research in India and developing a specialty in South Asia. I enjoyed my work in India, and I felt that it was interesting, important work, but at times I wondered about the impact it was having. As I was having those thoughts, I was also beginning to hear more about Afghanistan in the media. My interest in the country grew, particularly because of its differences from India. One major difference that interested me was Afghanistan’s non-colonial history. I was also intrigued by gender issues in Afghanistan — because gender relations were a core part of my studies that had drawn me to the South Asian region — as well as the complexity of the situation here, in terms of the country’s movement from reconstruction to development in a post-conflict context. These things drew me to Afghanistan, but it was my discovery of AREU that led me to think of Afghanistan as a place where I could use my skills to contribute to the development process in a different way than I could in India. I am a researcher, and that’s something that I really feel at my core. Finding a place that’s an Afghan organisation focused on research and so committed to putting research into programming and policy was a big eye-opener for me, and was what really drew me here in the end.

What do you consider the highlights of your career prior to your arrival at AREU?

One great opportunity was the first individual grant that I received from the Ford Foundation, which built on my

interest in doing research that is very policy oriented. I was doing research in India, linked with Oxfam India Trust. It was research on urban poverty and vulnerability, and the part that most interested me was working with a group that really had the desire to take that research forward and use it in their programming. Receiving that award was very meaningful to me because it was a chance to bridge the link from academics to practice and policy.

What have been your favorite experiences so far in working with AREU?

During my time at AREU, I’ve really enjoyed the organisation’s built-in interactions, which allow people to contribute by building both the institution and each others’ capacities; I believe that the two-way learning that goes on among the staff here is very important. I’ve also enjoyed the few opportunities that I’ve had to be outside Kabul, especially in the field experiences that I’ve had most recently in Sar-i-Pul. These field experiences let me see a perspective that differs from what you can see in Kabul, and that increases my motivation to remain involved in practical, contextual research.

How do you think your experience leading two of AREU’s research programmes has prepared you for your work as Director of AREU?

I was the Senior Research Manager for Livelihoods and Gender for about two years, and that time will very much inform my work here as Director. On the one hand, my previous work has helped me better understand the context of AREU’s work, which is important; I’m not someone who’s coming in fresh, not

Dr Paula Kantor has recently begun her tenure as Director of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU). Dr Kantor previously worked with AREU as the Senior Research Manager of Livelihoods and Gender from December 2005 to September 2007. During her time at AREU, Dr Kantor has managed research on such topics as: transnational livelihoods and networks, the refugee and returnee experiences of second-generation Afghans, formal and informal credit in rural livelihoods, urban livelihood strategies, child labour, family dynamics and family violence, and community-based justice systems.

Dr Kantor returns to AREU from her position as Lecturer in Social Development at the School of Development Studies at the University of East Anglia (United Kingdom); she has also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (United States). Her diverse academic background includes a BS in Economics, an MA in Gender and Development and a PhD in Urban Planning, with a specialisation in gender and international economic development. Prior to her work in Afghanistan, Dr Kantor conducted research in northern India on gender and informal employment, as well as urban poverty and vulnerability.

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knowing Afghanistan. It will also help that — to a great extent — I already know AREU. I understand the institution and how it functions because I’ve seen it from the perspective of a researcher. I have an insider’s perspective on how research is done, how the research department links with the Administration and Finance departments, and how they link with Communications and Advocacy, so I think I have a good overarching view of the institution and how it works. My experience as a researcher also helps me understand the needs and interests of different groups here in Afghanistan and means that I’ve had time to establish some links with the stakeholders that are interested in AREU’s work; as Director, I will be able to build upon those links, and on my AREU experience.

How would you describe AREU’s role in the Afghan and international communities?

AREU plays a vital role in supporting the work being done right now in Afghanistan (within the Afghan community, the government and civil society, as well as in the donor community) because AREU is an independent voice producing high-quality, rigorous research that can inform policymaking, donor programmes and the on-the-ground action of NGOs. One of AREU’s most important roles is to maintain that independence — the reputation that we’ve earned for being an objective and trustworthy research organisation — as well as the high quality of our research. I also think it’s essential that we continually improve our communications outward to the community, to ensure that our work is relevant and put to good use.

How would you like to see AREU extend its outreach to all of its target audiences?

The key aspect of AREU’s work is our production and output of quality research. The other side of that work is building relationships with the various stakeholders: with the international community outside Afghanistan, the donor community here and the Afghan government. A core part of our mission is to build these relationships and communicate our work outwards to those who need it. We can improve that communication by better understanding our readers so that we can produce the types of documents that they need to see. We can also work to make our outputs more accessible and to continually improve our communication with all of the stakeholders by better understanding their research needs. That will help ensure that they buy in to what we do early on. This will help keep people interested

when we have something to say because they will have been involved throughout the entire process.

I also think that AREU can do more to build discussion fora around the issues and papers that we release. We often have larger events and conferences when we put papers out, but — at another level — we should bring people together for round table discussions so that we can really delve into these issues in more detail and more depth. I think that’s one key role that AREU can play that will allow us to expand and improve our outreach to the stakeholders who are interested in our research.

What are your foremost priorities and goals for the future of AREU?

On the one hand, I have institutional priorities and goals, such as continuing to build AREU internally as an institution, building the capacity of our staff, maintaining the cordial and collegial work atmosphere that we have here, and improving the interactions between our various departments. On the other hand, my goals are very much centred around our work: maintaining the quality of our research and continuing to improve our outreach to stakeholders, ensuring that what we do does make it into the hands of the people who use it.

Much of that will involve focusing on building relationships — by meeting with stakeholders in the government, civil society and the donor community — rather than on staging big and splashy events. Building those relationships and understanding the policymaking process itself are the biggest parts of getting our research used in policy and practice. And that takes a more personal effort on our part, with a focus on going to meetings and establishing long-term links with people. Building this philosophy into our annual plans, in turn, will continually improve the relevance and usefulness of our work.

Are there any final thoughts that you’d like to share with the AREU community?

I’m very much looking forward to continuing my work here at AREU; its been a very meaningful experience thus far. Taking on the challenge of maintaining and extending what Andrew [Wilder] and Paul [Fishstein], my predecessors, worked to build is something I take very seriously and that I very much anticipate.

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Feature: Pashto-Language Publishing

By Dr Jamil Alkozai, AREU

Publication in Pashto lags far behind the recent development of publications in Farsi and Dari; in comparison, although Pashto is certainly holding its own in literature and literary studies, fewer contemporary resources are available in Pashto for scholars, students and researchers. If writers, researchers, academics and publishers do not produce more technical and research publications in Pashto, this may damage the stature of Pashto as a language for academic discourse.

When the printing press was first imported from Europe to Greater India in the 16th century, no publications were printed in Pashto. In 1911, however, a magazine called Afghan was published in Peshawar that included some articles in Pashto; later magazines, such as Sarhad (“Border”), also included articles in Pashto. The first exclusively Pashto printing press (lithograph) appeared in 1915 with Haji Tarakzai in Khyber Agency; it published a newspaper called Al-jihad during the time of the British insurgency.

In 1923, another newspaper (Al-mujahid) also began publishing in that agency. Sayed Rahat Zakhili — a famous writer and novelist of that time — was the first Pashto language journalist; he produced a fortnightly magazine entitled Afghan. This magazine was only published in Pashto and mostly addressed political issues and history. In 1928, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan published a magazine (Pakhtun) completely in Pashto. After that time, the publication of Pashto increased so that Pashto publications eventually spread outwards from Afghanistan and “Pashtunistan” to other countries such as India, Germany and Great Britain.

During the second period of Amir Sher Ali Khan’s rule (1868-1879), a government press was started for the first time in Afghanistan. The Pashto language found a place in works printed by that press as well as in books printed in Pashto. The magazine Shams un-nahar (1873) also included some articles in Pashto; for example, it published the official titles of rankholders in the army. Furthermore, some parts of the Siraj-ul-Akhbar were related to research on the Pashto language.

Pashto publications were well situated in the time of Amanullah Khan (1919-1929) when the first Pashto Academy was established in Afghanistan. In 1932, the magazine Tolo-i-Afghan began to appear in Pashto; in the end of that year, another magazine, Pashtu, began publication in Kandahar.

During the 1970s, until the end of the government of Sardar Daud Khan (1978), publication in Pashto about the language itself, Pashto literature and other research topics was strong because the government promoted cultural and technical activities and each year arranged academic seminars; after each seminar, different collected volumes were published. In earlier times, the government tried to publish greater numbers of books in Pashto to encourage Pashto speakers in Afghanistan and “Pashtunistan” (in response to the “Pashtunistan question”).1 Today, however, government-sponsored seminars are not flourishing and publications are rarely produced.

Pashto literature, meanwhile, has developed consistently; the hundreds of websites currently available in Pashto are good examples of this progression, which is directly related to the emigration of Pashtuns outside Afghanistan (to Pakistan, Germany, the United States, etc.). In contrast to pre-revolutionary times, when no one could publish anything without government permission, the public is now able to produce materials and release them on the web. In this way, Pashto literature has been developed, particularly poems, novels, short stories and other literary works.

Technical research, however, is generally undeveloped in Pashto, because books published on these topics were lost during the political conflicts of the past half-century.2 Therefore, there are currently very few research resources available in Pashto, and Pashto technical literature

Translated from Pashto

1.

The “Pashtunistan question” revolved around the allegiance of the Pashto

majority provinces of Pakistan; the Afghan government exported Pashto

publications to these provinces to encourage Pashto support for Afghanistan.

2.

These conflicts had ethnic, religious and linguistic layers, all of which contributed

to the destruction of technical literature published in Pashto.

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continues to be limited. In comparison, there are more technical and research publications in Farsi and Dari because these languages can draw on external sources. Iran produces a huge number of translated and original texts in Farsi, which then flood into Afghanistan.

After 2001, publications and press activities of all types (from both government offices and NGOs) have flourished in Afghanistan. About half of these publications are in Pashto, but they relate mostly to mass media and journalism. These publications can be categorised as follows:

1. Government-related publications, which follow government regulations and policies and are funded by government sources. According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture and Youth, 58 publications are currently active in this category; 29 of these are officially registered with the Ministry. These government-related publications maintain a linguistic balance between Dari and Pashto content;

2. Publications from nongovernmental groups (NGOs, political parties, etc.), which publish materials relating to their own activities and interests, because they are funded independently. No linguistic balance is apparent; many NGOs publish only in English, few of these items are translated into Dari and even fewer are translated into Pashto. No figures are available concerning the number of these publications, the content of which is usually technical or programme-related (for instance, governance and health) rather than literary;

3. Independent publications, which are linked neither to the government nor to other organisations. There are 298 of these publications registered with the Ministry of Culture and Youth; of these, 198 are based in Kabul, and the remainder are published outside Kabul.3 These publications are also produced in a variety of languages, and it is difficult to know if they keep a linguistic balance. Some publications in this group also receive input from outside Afghanistan and are sometimes very controversial.

In the eastern and southern provinces of Afghanistan, there are higher numbers of publications produced exclusively in Pashto. In these Pashto publications, literature and literary topics predominate. For example, in Nangarhar, Laghman and Kunar there are approximately 55 different governmental and nongovernmental publications; 90 percent of these are

exclusively in Pashto, and approximately 60 percent of the total concern literature. Outside the South and East of Afghanistan, few publications are produced exclusively in Pashto, but many appear in both Dari and Pashto. For instance, 98 percent of publications from Herat are in Dari. The technical, research and literary side of these publications appears to be very polished and professional, and most of the writers get information from books published in Iran.

During recent years, a third language also has been promoted in Afghanistan alongside Dari and Pashto, especially for research: English. Most of the English publications in Afghanistan are related to governance, development and other topics. There are also many websites about Afghanistan in English. For example, all websites of government ministries are initially produced in English. This is because the hundreds of NGOs and international donors working in Afghanistan use English as their means of communication and the employees working in decision making layers of NGOs are mostly foreigners. These websites are then translated into Dari and Pashto, although their contents are rarely kept up to date.

Unlike the time before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, most government periodicals now do not focus solely on government activities. Instead, these periodicals publish on a range of external topics, including governance, politics and literature. There are, however, some periodicals — like Karana (Ministry of Agriculture) and Adalat (Ministry of Justice) — that focus on technical issues related to their ministries. Soft copies of these periodicals are available on the websites of their respective ministries.

Information technology and electronic resources in Afghanistan have been highly promoted in recent times, and there are now hundreds of websites related to Afghanistan. These websites, from NGOs in Afghanistan and from all Afghan ministries, are listed in the sixth edition of AREU’s A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance, Sixth Edition (pages 65-66). These websites, however, cannot address the problems that Pashto-language writers face in Afghanistan; internet facilities are not available all over Afghanistan, and many Afghan writers are not able to use this new technology yet. Therefore, there are few Pashto-language resources that are useful for research and technical matters.

There are, however, a few resources for Pashto writers: 3.

Kathreen Wida, برگهای سبز مطبوعات [The Green Folios of the Press]

Kabul: Ceragh, 2008.

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The Afghanistan Research Newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU). The purpose of the Newsletter is to alert readers to new research being undertaken on Afghanistan and to help disseminate research findings and analysis. Some of the resources cited are available on the internet; most books and other publications are available at the AREU library, located in the AREU office (corner of Flower Street and Street 2) and open to researchers Sunday to Thursday, 9am-12:30pm and 1pm-4pm. The Newsletter is compiled by Royce Wiles and Dr Abdul Jamil Alkozai, edited and designed by Chris Bassett, and translated by Ahmadullah Amarkhil and Susan Fakhri. If you have ideas for books or other publications or resources that should be included in the Newsletter, please send an email to newsletter@areu.org.af.

The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) is an independent research organisation headquartered in Kabul. AREU's mission is to conduct high-quality research that informs and influences policy and practice. AREU also actively promotes a culture of research and learning by strengthening analytical capacity in Afghanistan and facilitating reflection and debate. Fundamental to AREU’s vision is that its work should improve Afghan lives.

AREU was established in 2002 by the assistance community working in Afghanistan. Its board of directors includes representatives from donors, the UN and other multilateral agencies, and NGOs. AREU has recently received funding from: the European Commission; the governments of Denmark (DANIDA), the United Kingdom (DFID), Switzerland (SDC), Norway and Sweden (SIDA); the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); the Government of Afghanistan's Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock; the World Bank; UNICEF; the Aga Khan Foundation; and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

the Pashto Department of the Academy of Sciences; the universities in Kabul, Kandahar, Nangrahar and Khost; and the Pashto Academy at the University of Peshawar. Unfortunately, the Pashto Academy in Peshawar is not producing many publications related to research or technical matters. There are also a few resources from NGOs in the eastern and southern provinces of Afghanistan and elsewhere, such as Alama-Rishad Pashto Research Centre (in Kandahar) and the Cultural Development Association of Afghanistan (in Cologne, Germany). These groups are producing some research-related publications in Pashto, but they are difficult to access.

To restore the language balance, more research and technical documents need to be published in Pashto; academics, writers and students need to continue to

produce these materials in order to keep Pashto alive as a vehicle for technical and research work.

Sources

Rafi, Habibullah. پښتو روځپاڼو، جريدو او مجلو : پښتو خپرونی Pashto Publications: the Introduction of] پيژندګلویPashto Newspapers, Magazines]. Kabul: Pashto Development Centre, 2007-2008

Rahin, Rasul. از شمس النهار تا جمهورت : تاريخ مطبوعات افغانستان)1863-1978( [The History of the Printing Press in

Afghanistan: from Shamsulnehar to Jamhouriyat (1863-1978)]. Kabul: Afghanistan Cultural Association, 2008.

Wida, Kathreen. برگهای سبز مطبوعات [The Green Folios of the Press]. Kabul: Ceragh, 2008.

New research staff at AREU Len Milich has joined AREU as the Senior Research Manager for Natural Resources Management. Dr Milich has a PhD in Arid Lands Resource Sciences, an MA in Forestry and Environmental Studies, and a BA in Meteorology. He has worked in a variety of technical areas: interdisciplinary application of human-environment interactions; natural resources policy and development; sustainable development and sustainable livelihoods; management of transnational water resources; global environmental and climate change; food security policy and planning; and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity. He has worked in a wide range of countries, including Indonesia, Angola, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and Yemen. He has most recently completed an analysis of food security in Indonesia. Dr Milich is accessible by email at len@areu.org.af

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New Director at American Institute of Afghanistan Studies

The American Institute of Afghanistan Studies, founded in 2003, is a centre in Kabul for visiting American academics (both teachers and students) who are engaged in Afghanistan studies. Faculty members from a group of about 25 American universities, all of which offer some courses on Afghan affairs, direct the work of the Institute. When in Kabul, Institute members give lectures on their areas of research, in areas such as: anthropology, political science, history, the arts, folk literature, and music. The Institute’s long-term objectives are to increase study of Afghanistan in American universities to pre-war levels and to bring American professionals into personal contact with their Afghan counterparts.

Dr Mohammad Omar Sharifi, the Institute’s new Director, was born in Kabul in 1978. He graduated from Nadira High School in 1995 and the Kabul Medical Institute in 2003. Following his medical studies, he worked as Head of Research and Publications for the Foundation for Culture and Civil Society (FCCS) in Kabul. From 2006 to 2008, he studied Cultural Anthropology at Columbia University in New York. For further information on AIAS activities, please visit www.bu.edu/aias.

Research Project

The History and Ethnography of Pashtuns: A Searchable Database of Annotated Documentaries and other Multimedia

This new project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, will create a repository of materials on the history and ethnography of Pashtuns. In brief, the project envisions a repository that will serve both as a learning environment and a scholarly resource. It will contain texts, grammatical reference materials, and multimedia organised for easy navigation and searching. The project will develop special services beyond basic information search and browsing capabilities; for example, the site will provide historical and cultural background about the people, places, organisations and events mentioned in the new texts such as blog entries and news stories.

The project is beginning to gather materials and is particularly in need of books and articles that can be used

for quotations and brief descriptions, particularly: 19th and early 20th century texts that are no longer under copyright but contain material that is of contemporary interest; visual materials showing everyday practices, the organisation of private space, tools and techniques for handiwork; and other ethnographic material.

More information on this project is available at: http://csproj2.colgate.edu/neh

Contact: Alexander Nakhimovsky Computer Science Department, Colgate University Hamilton NY 13346 adnakhimovsky@colgate.edu

Two New Research Institutions Established in Kabul

Governance Institute (GI-A): This new research group aims to promote effective governance in order to make a difference in Afghanistan’s economic and social development. The Institute’s aim is to function as a leading establishment in the development of governance, with a special focus on promoting the effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, accountability and sustainability of state and civil society organisations. GI-A will conduct research, surveys and evaluations to foster sound policy development and evidence-based decision-making.

GI-A has developed partnerships with universities and institutions outside Afghanistan: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and the Indian Institute of Health Management Research. Their initial focus will be on health issues. Individuals wishing to contact GI-A may do so by email at giafghanistan@gmail.com or by phone at 0798-263-027.

Academic Research Department, Kateb Institute for Higher Education: Kateb Institute for Higher Education (located on Sarak-i-Melli, Kabul) has established an Academic Research Department in order to contribute to the development process of Afghanistan by conducting academic research in the following areas: legal issues (current legal issues, human rights development, justice sector; reconstruction, criminal law and criminology); political issues (government, elections, democracy and civil society); social issues (corruption, narcotics, security, women and children, and refugees); cultural issues (language and literature); and pure research (political thought and philosophy, and Islamic studies).

More information about the Kateb Institute is available at www.kateb.edu.af and via email at info@kateb.edu.af

Research News

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The notes below are an overview of current AREU research activities and are a supplement to the information on our website.

Gender

The gender research programme seeks to develop a sophisticated understanding of gender dynamics in Afghanistan, in order to challenge some pervasive stereotypes and better inform policy and programming to the benefit of both men and women. Four studies — focusing on the following themes — are currently carrying out this agenda: family dynamics and family violence; gender mainstreaming at the national level; community-based dispute resolution mechanisms and gender; and women’s participation in local governance and development projects and programmes. The studies on family dynamics and family violence and on national-level gender mainstreaming are in the final stages of analysis, writing and publication. Meanwhile, field research is ongoing in Balkh province for the community-based dispute resolution mechanisms study; analysis, writing and publication will take place later this year.

AREU initiated its newest study on gender and women’s participation in local governance and development in May 2008. This study examines the various assumptions used to justify the “gender-inclusive” development initiatives of the National Solidarity Programme and other NGOs. The project will particularly focus on the assumption that women’s village-level participation in local governance and microfinance loan groups serves to “empower” them as individuals or as a group. As such, this research focuses on the effect that women’s participation has on gender dynamics in the context of family and local community. The research aims to identify which aspects of women’s village-level participation contribute to or limit women’s empowerment. It focuses on women’s influence and authority, in both the public and private spheres, in order to establish awareness of Afghan women’s position as actors rather than passive victims. At the same time, the research will be realistic in recognising how women have been routinely oppressed.

Contact: deborah@areu.org.af

Governance For research purposes, AREU defines governance in broad terms, as the processes of decision-making and the implementation of those decisions. The Governance

programme at AREU aims to inform national and international actors involved in security and stabilisation, post-war recovery, and development about governance issues in Afghanistan. Research is currently focused on the following areas:

Aid Effectiveness

This is an ongoing project that examines the management of aid in Afghanistan. AREU has already published research findings that explore the links between aid and state-building. Future research will look at the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) and the challenges to implementing aid effectively from the community level to the national and international levels.

Aid and Security

Beginning in June 2008, AREU (in collaboration with the Feinstein Institute of Tufts University) is undertaking a 15-month study to explore the links between aid and security. The research will be based on case studies that are focused on the work of Provincial Reconstruction Teams. Research findings will be published throughout the course of the project, and a final synthesis paper is planned for the end of 2009.

Election Process

This project is a study of the technical and political issues surrounding the forthcoming presidential, parliamentary and provincial elections in 2009 and 2010. A briefing paper is planned for autumn 2008.

Policy Processes at the Subnational Level

Research is underway to understand the actors and agendas that drive policy processes at the subnational governance level. A working paper and briefing paper are planned for the end of 2008.

Political Parties

This study looks at the role of political parties in Afghanistan’s recent history and analyses the potential advantages and disadvantages of a party system in contemporary Afghanistan.

Contact: rebecca@areu.org.af

Health

Recently, AREU has conducted a short study researching the problematic use of pharmaceutical psychotropic drugs (those

Current AREU Research

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that effect mental activity, such as diazepam, which is also known as Valium). This study addresses patterns of supply, use and regulation of psychotropic drugs. AREU will publish a briefing paper from this study in August 2008.

This research will continue in early 2009, with a longer study conducted across three provinces (yet to be determined) of Afghanistan. The study will continue to investigate the themes addressed in the briefing paper and will further explore perceptions, supply and demand patterns, education, and programmes related to problematic use of psychotropic drugs.

Contact: deborah@areu.org.af

Livelihoods and Human Security In 2008, the AREU livelihoods and human security research programme focuses on two studies. One examines the factors influencing the decisions of poor households regarding the use of child labour; this study began in June 2007 and is funded in part by UNICEF and the Child Rights Consortium. It contributes to existing research on child labour in Afghanistan by recognising that not all poor households put their children into paid work, suggesting that poverty is not the only factor leading to child labour. The case study series seeks to identify the range of other factors influencing these decisions. This is done through in-depth interviews with a small selection of households in three field sites: Kabul city; Herat city and a border village near Islam Qala; and a village in Badakhshan. These interviews will help the researchers understand the households’ range of livelihood choices, how the households assess these choices, and why child labour is or is not used. The findings will inform policy and programming related to improving livelihood security and child protection. This study has completed its data collection phase; one case study is currently available, and two more will be released in August. The final study synthesis and briefing papers will be available in the autumn.

The second study, named Afghan Livelihood Trajectories, started in May 2008 (with funding from the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK and DFID) and will continue for two years. The study will return to a selection of the households studied in a 2002-03 study of rural livelihoods, to investigate how and why the livelihoods of these households have changed in the intervening five years. The study will be done in three villages from each of the following five provinces: Sar-i-Pul, Faryab, Herat, Badakhshan and Kandahar. Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Mercy Corps are

partners on the study, conducting the field work in Badakhshan and Kandahar, respectively. The results of this study will provide an important and unique understanding of patterns of livelihood change, examining similarities and contrasts among households, within and across villages, and within and across provinces. The goal of the research is to understand how differences in social, economic, political and agro-ecological contexts explain the patterns identified, and what this means for agriculture and rural development programming and policy.

Contact: paula@areu.org.af

Natural Resource Management AREU’s natural resource management (NRM) research reflects the ANDS’s identification of agriculture as a key priority area for growth in Afghanistan. The ANDS also highlights the fact that expansion and intensification of licit agriculture is essential for supporting counter-narcotics policy. Underlying these priorities is a recognised need to improve the management of Afghanistan’s natural resources, especially irrigation water, land tenure security and livestock. AREU is currently conducting NRM research through the following two projects:

Applied Thematic Research on Water Management, the Opium Economy and Livestock in Afghanistan

These longitudinal and thematic studies concluded in Kunduz and Ghazni provinces in April 2008, but they continue in Herat, Nangarhar and in nomadic Kuchi communities. The focus is on identifying opportunities for improving licit agricultural productivity as well as constraints and inefficiencies in the way farmers use natural resources. This is in an effort to enhance Afghan livelihoods. Three years of data have already been collected; in the fourth and final year, the research focus will be on dissemination of findings to influence policy.

Capacity-Building to Address Land-Related Conflicts and Vulnerability in Afghanistan

This project aims to design, test, and refine methods for resolving land-related disputes in rural and peri-urban areas. Five types of disputes (representing common trends in land and resource disputes) have been selected and analysed, resolution mechanisms most suitable to each dispute have been identified, and relevant stakeholders to the disputes have been engaged by the project. AREU has also conducted workshops for government staff on relevant laws and policies.

Contact: len@areu.org.af

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New AREU Publications

Livelihoods “Second-generation Afghans in Iran: Integration, Identity and Return,” by Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi, Diana Glazebrook, Gholamreza Jamshidiha, Hossein Mahmoudian and Rasoul Sadeghi, explores second-generation experiences of education, employment and social networks within a theme of integration. The study examines the self-definition of second-generation respondents in relation to their counterparts in Afghanistan, their Iranian peers and their parents. It also explores issues that affect the perceptions and intentions of second-generation Afghans, as well as the attachment of second-generation Afghans to Afghanistan or Iran as a “ homeland.”

“Microcredit, Informal Credit and Rural Livelihoods: A Village Case Study in Bamyan Province,” by Erna Andersen, Paula Kantor and Amanda Sim, is the second case study in a series of three that “examines how the entry of microcredit into village and household economies in Afghanistan affects informal credit relations and livelihood outcomes, either directly or indirectly, through effects on the overall village economy” (page iii).

Natural Resources Management Water Management, Livestock and the Opium Economy: A Typology of Irrigation Systems in Afghanistan is an Issues Paper by Bob Rout that “develops and presents a typology of irrigation systems in Afghanistan. It is intended to enhance knowledge of irrigation methods and management with the aim of improving system performance and productivity. It is also intended to provide those involved in irrigation rehabilitation and natural resources management with a better understanding of the link between irrigation systems and livelihood sustainability” (page vii).

“Resurgence and Reductions: Explanations for Changing Levels of Opium Poppy Cultivation in Nangarhar and Ghor in 2006-07,” by David Mansfield, is a case study which suggests that rural households cultivating opium poppy in Nangarhar and Ghor “do not necessarily generate a gross per capita income either above the subsistence level of a dollar a day or

greater than non-poppy-cultivating households in the same province...[and] currently lack viable alternatives through which to meet their basic needs” (page iii).

Translations AREU has released Dari and Pashto translations of: The A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance, Sixth Edition (see insert above); and a Pashto translation of Love, Fear and Discipline: Everyday Violence towards Children in Afghan Families by Deborah J. Smith.

The following publications were released by AREU between April and July 2008. All AREU publications can be downloaded from www.areu.org.af, and hard copies are available for free at the AREU office. To receive electronic announcements of new AREU publications, send an email with name and affiliation to publications@areu.org.af.

AREU publishes Dari and Pashto editions of

The A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance

In July 2008, AREU released Dari and Pashto transla-tions of The A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assis-tance, Sixth Edition, which is available free of charge in both hard and soft copies. As AREU’s flag-ship publication, The A to Z Guide provides an ex-tensive glossary of assistance terms, an overview of Afghanistan’s system of government, a series of country and city maps, key primary documents, and an extensive contact directory including government entities, NGOs, donors and international actors. Hard copies of the Dari and Pashto editions of The A to Z Guide are available for free at the AREU office on Flower Street in Kabul; electronic copies of the guide can be downloaded from www.areu.org.af.

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Cross-Cutting and General

Dayani, Khalid A. and Thomas Lehmann. Afghan watan : jedem Ende wohnt ein Anfang inne = افغان وطن Konzeption, Layout, Realisierung. Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland: (Druck) Dumat, 2008. 102 p. ISBN: 9783000235214. This collection of photographs of modern Afghanistan is part of an artistic documentation project based in Frankfurt, Germany.

Neumann, Ronald E. “Implementation : a new approach to multinational coordination in Afghanistan.” Muscatine, Indiana: The Stanley Foundation, April 2008. 8 p. http://www.stan leyfoundat ion.org/publ i cat ions/pab/NeumannPAB408.pdf (104 KB). This policy brief argues for more focus on implementation and the use of existing coordination systems.

Ringdal, Nils Johan and Audun Beyer. Georg Valentin von Munthe af Morgenstiernes forunderlige liv og reiser [George Valentin von Munthe of Morgenstierne’s strange life and travels]. Oslo: Aschehoug, 2008. 784 p. ISBN: 9788203188336. Georg Morgenstierne (1892-1978) was a Norwegian linguist at the University of Oslo. In 1924, he undertook the first of two major linguistic expeditions and arrived in Kabul with a personal letter of introduction to the King of Afghanistan from the King of Norway. Morgenstierne did pioneering work with many languages spoken in Afghanistan (including those of Kunar); this new biography recounts his unusual life and travels. At present, the book is available only in Norwegian. The Norwegian Afghanistan Committee is planning a seminar on Morgenstierne’s work in Oslo in September 2008. For more information, visit: http://www.nb.no/baser/morgenstierne/english/index.html.

Torabi, Yama and Lorenzo Deslegues. “Afghanistan: Bringing Accountability Back In: From Subjects of Aid to Citizens of the State.” Kabul: Integrity Watch Afghanistan, 2008. 43 p. http://www.iwaweb.org/BringingAccountability BackIn.pdf (4.27 MB). This survey, conducted by Integrity Watch in May 2008, suggests that ”the weak accountability of foreign aid, and the Afghan government, is a direct outcome of the legacy of past international governance efforts — be it the state-building or democratization, the peace-building or the war on terror.” The document makes a number of recommendations for improving information flows.

Agriculture

“Afghanistan Small and Medium Enterprise Development (ASMED): Market Information, Phase 2: Edible Vegetable Oil.” Kabul: Altai Consulting, November 2007. 103 p. http://afghanistan.buildingmarkets.org/afghan-market-research (PDFs, 10.5 MB). This report explores the production of edible vegetable oils in Afghanistan — both existing crops (flax, sunflower, sesame, cotton, olives) and proposed ones (safflower, canola, oil palm, soybean).

“Community Based Approaches for Rural Land Administration and Management in Afghanistan.” Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Kabul: Asian Development Bank, 2008. 52 p. http://www.adb.org/Documents/Reports/Consultant/38221-AFG/38221-01-AFG-TACR.pdf (523 KB). This paper summarises the experiences of a joint effort between government and nongovernmental actors to tackle the land problems of the country and to support government efforts to draft a national land policy; the paper also includes a methodology for community administration of rural land records.

New Publications and Resources

All the resources listed in this section are available for consultation in hard copy in the Resource Centre at the AREU office on Flower Street in Kabul. Many documents are also available as soft copies from the URLs provided in this newsletter. Where copyright permission is available, some documents are also available for download through AREU’s on-line library catalogue; to access these, visit www.areu.org.af, and follow the link marked “Library.” For more information, or to request PDF copies of these documents (where available), please contact library@areu.org.af.

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Chabot, Philippe. “Comparing Gross Revenues for Nuts and Dried Fruits in California and Opium Poppy in Afghanistan : A Review of Available Data.” USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. 9 p. This note reviews gross revenues for opium poppy in Afghanistan and almonds, pistachios, and raisins in California over the period 1997-2006. It finds that, in a number of instances, gross revenues for these horticulture crops in California were greater than gross revenues for opium poppy in Afghanistan. The note also briefly looks at issues related to marketing and overall profitability between crops. The author can be contacted at: philippe.chabot@fas.usda.gov.

Purves, Ruth. “NGO Voices on Agriculture and Rural Development.” ACBAR Advocacy Series. Kabul, Afghanistan: Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), April 2008. 7 p. Also published in Dari: صدایh مؤسسات غير دولتی در رابطه به زراعت و انکشاف دهات t t p : / /www.acbar.org/ACBAR%20Publications/NGO%20Voices%20on%20Agriculture%20&%20Rural%20Development%20(20%20Apr%2008.pdf (364 KB). This paper is based on the priorities identified by the Afghanistan Pilot Participatory Poverty Assessment (APPPA)-target communities, in which a number of national and international NGOs working in the agriculture and rural deve lopment sec to r were approached for interviews and participation in subsequent round-table discussions.

Economic Development and Finance

“1387 Donors’ Financial Review.” Aid Coordination Unit, Directorate-General Budget, Ministry of Finance, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Kabul: Ministry of Finance, 2008. 21 p. The Donor Financial Review (DFR) is a twice-yearly exercise to obtain and analyse data on donor assistance to Afghanistan. The resulting product is a key document for reporting on donor pledges, commitments, disbursements and aid projections. The primary focus of the DFR is to capture information about aid delivery through the donor-funded external budget. This year, for the first time, the DFR includes data on aid disbursements through the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). Hard copies of this report should be available directly from the Ministry of Finance in Kabul (Pashtunistan Square).

Afghanistan National Development Strategy 1387-1391 (2008-2013): A Strategy for Security, Governance, Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction. Kabul: Afghanistan National Development Strategy Secretariat, 2008. 261 p. Also published as: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (IMF country reports; no. 08/153). http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2008/cr08153.pdf (4 MB). This is a finalised version of the ANDS, released in May 2008; the IMF version includes an Executive summary (23 pages).

Adlparvar, Naysan. The Afghanistan Pilot Participatory Poverty Assessment (APPPA) Final Report: Perceptions of Poverty from the “Poor”, Conceptions of Policy from the “Poor.” Kabul: Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), 2008. 172 p. http://www.acbar.org/ACBAR%20Publications/APPPA%20Summary%20Report%20(April%202008)%20English.pdf. “The Afghanistan Pilot Participatory Poverty Assessment (APPA), conducted between May 2007 and May 2008 was designed to permit the views of the ‘poor’ to be taken into account in the formulation and implementation of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)” (Foreword). A summary of the report (20 p.) is also available in English and Dari: ارزيابی آزمايشی مشارکتی فقر در

. تصور فقر از ديدگاه فقرا، مفاهيم چاليسی برای فقرا: مرور اجمالی گزارش : افغانستان

Purves, Ruth. “Afghanistan Without Poverty: A Plain Language Guide to Poverty in Afghanistan.” ACBAR Advocacy Series, edited by Emrys Schoemaker and Naysan Adlparavar, illustrated by Abdul Momen Hamidi. Kabul: Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), April 2008. 44 p. http://www.acbar.org/ACBAR%20Publications/Plain%20Language%20Guide_English.pdf (1.28 MB).

Baudienville, Geraldine and Eric Davin. “Aid Effectiveness in Afghanistan: Paper Prepared for the Paris Conference — June 2008.” Altai Consulting. Kabul: Altai Consulting, May 2008. 45 p. “This paper provides a general overview of progress made to date and key challenges to improve aid effectiveness. It does not aim to review specific economic sub-sectors within which amount and modalities of aid delivered can be very different, achieving unequal results. Instead, a few specific examples have been developed to illustrate interesting practices, in terms of aid implementation and management, which show

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progress and which could be further developed. The analysis is based on the review of key documents...” (p. 6). This paper was commissioned by the French government.

“Far From the Center: A Study of Jawzjan Development Planning.” Kabul: ActionAid Afghanistan, 2008. 36 p. Also published in Dari. “This report is attempting to analyze the issues of sub-national governance in Afghanistan and the Provincial Development Planning (PDP) processes in particular from a civil society perspective. For 1386

Jawzjan Provincial Development Council (PDC) planned about 314 projects with an estimated budget of USD54 million...only 15 projects have been implemented.” The report goes on to provide causes for this problem and suggest solutions for improving the situation. An Executive Summary of this work (8 pages) is available online (982 KB). For more information on this report, please contact: mudasser@actionaidafg.org

Independent Performance and Financial Audit of Four Technical Assistance Projects in Afghanistan. A.F. Ferguson & Co. Manila, Philippines [?]: Asian Development Bank, March 2008. 71 p.

Informal Sector Survey. Altai Consulting. Kabul: Ministry of Commerce and Industries, 4 September 2006. 159 p. http://afghanistan.buildingmarkets.org/sites/all/downloads/Informal-Sector.pdf (783 KB). "This survey seeks both to determine the drivers of formality and informality [within the Afghan economy], and to understand the rationale behind the decision made by businessmen to adopt or reject each individual aspect of formality" (page 7, Executive Summary). Although this report is dated 2006, it seems to have become available only recently.

“Joint Staff Advisory Note on the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.” International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Development Association (IDA), IMF Country Report No. 08/193. Washington, DC: International Monetary Fund, 15 May 2008. 14 p. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.cfm?sk=22073.0 (PDF, 183 KB). This short review of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (2008-2013) identifies a number of strengths and weaknesses in the ANDS analysis, and makes suggestions for improvements in some areas as implementation of the strategy commences.

Woloszyn, Rachael. “NGO Voices on Social Protection.” ACBAR Advocacy Series. Kabul: Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), April 2008. 11 p. Also published in Dari: صدایمؤسسات غير دولتی در رابطه به محافظت /http://www.acbar.org اجتماعی ACBAR%20Publications/NGO%20Voices%20on%20Water%20(20%20Apr%2008).pdf (488 KB). Based upon priorities identified by the Afghanistan Pilot Participatory Poverty Assessment (APPPA)-target communities, a number of national and international NGOs working in the social protection sector were approached for participation in interviews and subsequent round-table discussions. This paper is the result of those processes.

Rahmani, Ahmad Idrees and Haroun Mir. “Regional Trade Regime & Declining Rate of Private Investment in Afghanistan.” Kabul: Afghanistan’s Center for Research & Policy Studies, April 2008. 38 p. “This study is conducted in response to the concerns of Afghans and the international community about the trade policy confusion in Afghanistan, which has been further amplified by the decision of Afghan government to arbitrarily increase tariff on non-alcoholic beverages from 20% to 40%. The initial intention of this policy paper was to follow up on the World Bank’s reflection in its draft notes of September 2007 and conduct a competitiveness study of Afghan industries vis-à-vis their competitors in the neighbouring countries. However, the challenge of conducting impartial research where credible data is lacking, has seriously limited our efforts to provide a thorough analysis and suggest adequate recommendations...Given the particularities of Afghanistan’s socio-cultural differences from other least developed countries, it is hard to imagine that successful economic growth models elsewhere could successfully apply here. We believe that successful policies in Afghanistan might combine concepts from traditional economic analysis with a broader, multidisciplinary approach that incorporates social and political realities. In order to come up with appropriate national development goals and strategies, Afghan policy-makers need to look at different economic and non-economic factors in the society, including cultural, political, and institutional mechanisms. The current economic underperformance in Afghanistan is less about the level of international commitment but more about lack of economic vision and good policy leadership by the Afghans” (page 4, Executive Summary).

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“SDC’s Medium-Term Strategy for Afghanistan: 2008-2011.” Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Berne : SDC, 2008. 28 p.

Chayes, Sarah. “Security and Development in Afghanistan: A Reality Check.” Calgary, Canada: The Peacebuilding, Development and Security Program, University of Calgary, 2008. 3 p. http://wcmprod1. u c a l g a r y . c a / p d s p / f i l e s / p d s p / p d s p - s e m i n a r -brief_chayes2008-longfinal.pdf. This document summarises a seminar given by Sarah Chayes at the University of Calgary on 31 March 2008. Sarah Chayes, “author of The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban...is a former U.S. National Public Radio reporter who stayed behind in Afghanistan to help rebuild the war-torn country. She has lived in Kandahar, Afghanistan for the last six years working on various development initiatives, gaining a unique vantage point on the current conflict, assistance efforts to date by the international community and the way forward for Kandahar and Afghanistan. Chayes’ views challenge many mainstream understandings of what is happening in Afghanistan and how the outside world can help. She...articulates how the current statebuilding effort is experienced by the ordinary Afghan citizens she lives among. Her perspective contributes to understanding the challenges of supporting security, development and accountable governance in a highly unstable area like Kandahar” (page 1).

Education

Dwerryhouse, Sarah. “NGO Voices on Education.” ACBAR Advocacy Series. Kabul: Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), April 2008. 9 p. Also published in Dari: صدای مؤسسات غير دولتی در رابطه به آموزش h t t p : / /www.acbar.org/ACBAR%20Publications/NGO%20Voices%20on%20Education%20(20%20Apr%2008).pdf (366 KB, accessed 31 July 2008). Based upon priorities identified by the Afghanistan Pilot Participatory Poverty Assessment (APPPA)-target communities, a number of national and international NGOs working in the education sector were approached for participation in interviews and subsequent round-table discussions. This paper is the result of those processes.

Foreign Relations

Amin, Haron. Afghan-Japan Relations: Lands Under the Rising Sun. Foreword by Ludwig Adamec. Tokyo: Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2007. 63 p. “Commemorating the Centennial Anniversary of Prince Ayub’s visit to Japan & celebrating 76 years of formal relations,” this document is printed with text in both Japanese and English. The contents of the document

are as follows: I. Ancient influence and the personification of Buddha; II. Historical relations between Japan and Afghanistan; III. Formal diplomatic relations; IV. Conclusion; Table 1. Names of Afghan officials who visited Japan since 2001; Table 2. Names of Japanese officials who visited Afghanistan since 2001; Table 3. Names, dates and posts of Afghan diplomats in Japan; Table 4. Names, dates and posts of Japanese diplomats in Afghanistan (established in November 1934); Table 5. Ambassador in charge of Afghanistan assistance based at the Japanese Foreign Ministry; and Bibliography.

Governance and Politics

“Afghan and Somali Views on the United States Presidential Elections 2008: Candidate Preference Interviews, Afghanistan and Somalia (March/April 2008).” London: The Senlis Council, 2008. http://www.senliscouncil.net/documents/Afghan_Somali_Views_US (PDF, 225 KB). A short survey to measure the extent to which US presidential candidates were known in Afghanistan and Somalia.

Safi, Mariam. “Afghan-Pak Joint Peace Jirga: Possibilities and Improbabilities.” IPCS Special Report no. 51. New Delhi: Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (ICPS), March 2008. 8 p. http://www.humansecuritygateway.info/documents/IPCS_AfghanPakJointPeaceJirga.pdf (132 KB). This document is an evaluation of the Afghan-Pakistan Peace Jirga of August 2007.

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Ruttig, Thomas. Afghanistan: Institutionen ohne Demokratie: strukturelle Schwächen des Staatsaufbaus und Ansätze für eine politische Stabilisierung. Berlin: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Deutsches Institute für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit, 2008. 34 p. http://www.swp-berlin.org/common/get_document.php?asset_id=5054 (252 KB). This document is an analysis of the potential for democratic institutions to function in Afghanistan and what factors are hindering the stabilisation of Afghanistan.

Young, Dennis O. “Overcoming the obstacles to establishing a democratic state in Afghanistan.” Carlisle, PA, USA: Strategic Studies Inst i tute, 2007. 22 p. http:/ /www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB818.pdf. This paper looks at several of the obstacles to democracy in Afghanistan, including: the absence of a democratic history and tradition; an endemic culture of corruption; a pervasive narcotics trade and drug trafficking problem; tribalism and ethnic divides among the population; and the lack of support or assistance from neighbouring Pakistan. The author proposes five possible strategies and adjustments to current efforts by the international community.

Haidari, M. Ashraf. “Paris Conference: An Opportunity to Address Afghanistan’s Key Rebuilding Challenges.” Arlington, VA, USA: International Affairs Forum, 22 June 2008. 3 p. http://www.ia-forum.org/Content/ViewInternal Document.cfm?ContentID=6295 (HTML, 244 KB). This short

opinion piece outlines the importance of the Paris conference, and what steps need to be taken correctly in order to move Afghanistan forward.

Progress Against the Compact’s Civil Service Reform Goals : A Report of the Independent Administrative Reforms and Civil Service Commission.” Kabul: Independent Administrative Reforms and Civil Service Commission, June 2008. The purpose of this paper was to determine the current state of affairs, with regard to the civil service reform stipulations of the Afghanistan Compact goals.

Health

“Final Evaluation Reports on Health Financing Pilots: The Effects of User Fees vs. Free Services in Primary Care in Afghanistan.” Kabul: Ministry of Health, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2008. 131 p. In 2004, the Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan contracted with Johns Hopkins University and the Indian Institute of Health

Management Research to design and evaluate various community financing mechanisms at primary care facilities in Afghanistan. In spring 2007, a final evaluation of pilot facilities assessed the performance of user fees and free services in: raising revenues; improving quality of care; ensuring financial access and use of care; and enhancing community ownership of health services. This study shows the results of that evaluation process. Based on this study, the Ministry of Health abolished fees at Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) facilities in April 2008.

Woloszyn, Rachael. “NGO Voices on Health.” ACBAR Advocacy Series. Kabul: Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), April 2008. 9 p. Also published in Dari:

صدای مؤسسات غير دولتی در رابطه به صحت http://www.acbar.org/ACBAR%20Publications/NGO%20Voices%20of%20Health.pdf (PDF, 286 KB). Based upon priorities identified by the Afghanistan Pilot

Participatory Poverty Assessment (APPPA)-target communities, a number of national and international NGOs working in the

Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET)

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) has released the following documents about Afghanistan in 2008:

• Food security alerts: “Below-average wet season,

high prices increase food insecurity” (24 April 2008)

• Food security updates: January, February, March

• Weather hazards: weekly climate forecasts

• Northern Afghanistan drought impact

assessment (April 2008)

These documents are available online at: http://www.fews.net/pages/country.aspx?gb=af&l=en

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health sector were approached for participation in interviews and in subsequent round-table discussions. This paper is the result of those processes.

“Presentation on Mullahs HIV & AIDS Peer Education Project.” Kabul: ActionAid, May 2008. Slides. 24 p. This report summarises the results of a pilot project (in Kabul, Balkh and Takhar provinces) under the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS. This project focused on the distribution of public health information (including information on HIV/AIDS) through religious leaders and peer education programmes in which these mullahs are trained by other religious scholars.

Saving the lives of mothers and newborns in Afghanistan. Kabul: Save the Children, March 2008. 57 p. http://www.savethechildren.org/publications/technical-resources/saving-newborn-lives/snl-publications/Afghanistan-2008-Sit-An.pdf. The Afghanistan Health Survey 2006 estimated the infant mortality rate to be 129 per 1000 live births. The AHS further estimated the under-five mortality rate to be 191 per 1000 live births, with a 95 percent confidence interval for the estimate of under-five mortality being between 149 and 233. According to Save the Children’s 2007 State of the World’s Mothers report, Afghanistan has one of the highest ratios of maternal deaths to live births in the world, with 20,000 women and 370,000 children under five dying annually. The reality of these figures for an Afghan mother is that, on average, she is likely to lose two children younger than five years in her lifetime. What makes these data particularly unpalatable is that most of these deaths are easily preventable. The situation analysis published in this document was prepared after a literature review and extensive interviews with Ministry of Public Health and Save the Children staff, as well as staff of other NGOs and donors working in the health sector.

Law, Justice and the Legal System

“Arbitrary Justice: Trials of Bagram and Guantanamo Detainees in Afghanistan.” New York: Human Rights First, 2008. 36 p. Executive summary also published in Dari (4 p.) and Pushto (5 p.). http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/media/usls/2008/alert/278/index.htm (PDF, 734 KB). “This report examines the process by which more than 250 Afghans formerly detained by the United States at Guantanamo and Bagram have been transferred to the Afghan government for prosecution. These detainees are being held for trial at Block D of Pul-i-Charkhi prison, outside Kabul, which was built by the U.S. government. Based on trial observations and first-

hand interviews with judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers, a former Block D defendant, and family members of detainees in Kabul, the report describes how the detainees are being charged and tried by the Afghan government "ba sed on allegations, but little else, provided by the United States.”

“International Instruments for the Protection of Women’s Human Rights.” Kabul: UNIFEM Afghanistan, 2007 [?]. 37 p. http://afghanistan.unifem.org/prog/GJ/publications. html#toolkit1 (PDF, 2MB).

U.S. Congress. House of Representatives. Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs.“Oversight of U.S. Efforts to Train and Equip Police and Enhance the Justice Sector in Afghanistan” Washington: [n.p.], 2008. This document includes the testimony of individuals concerning the rule-of-law projects, especially with the Afghan police, including recommendations for changes in work practice.

New Laws Released in 1386

Official Gazette Number 923 The decrees of the President of Afghanistan

Law of prisons and detention centres.

927 Regulation on vehicle registration.

929 Regulation on scholarships and studying abroad.

930 Registration of commercial documents and trademarks.

934 The advocate’s law.

935 Regulation on management of prisons and detention centres.

925, 928, Registration of commercial documents 930, 933, and trademarks. 937, 938

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Migration

Monsutti, Alessandro. “Afghan Migratory Strategies and the Three Solutions to the Refugee Problem.” Refugee Studies Quarterly 27 (2008): 58-73. http://rsq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/27/1/58 (PDF). This article proposes three main assertions: the prior existence of transnational networks in and around Afghanistan and the normality of movements along them; the resilience and inventiveness of the Afghan population, especially as illustrated by the remittance system; and the relevance of migratory movements and transnational networks for the reconstruction of the country and the stability of the region. In contrast to the migratory strategies developed by the refugees, the three solutions that the UNHCR promotes for refugees (voluntary repatriation in the country of origin; integration in the host country; and resettlement in a third country) are based on the idea that solutions are found when movements stop. Mobility, however, may also be seen as a key livelihood strategy. The article asserts the need for a more comprehensive solution that takes the full range of strategies and responses developed by the Afghan population into account, including movements between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.

Natural Resources Management

Afghanistan’s Environment 2008 : Executive Summary. Kabul [?]: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2008. 29 p. ISBN: 9788277010489. http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/afg_soe_E.pdf (8.61 MB). This summary provides readers with a short overview of the key environmental issues, factors and drivers of environmental change in Afghanistan, and highlights the latest achievements and prospects ahead. It is intended as an overview of the more multifaceted First State of Environment (SOE) Report for Afghanistan, which is being produced by the National Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with section 9(12) of Afghanistan’s 2007 Environment Law. This larger document will be published in mid-2008, with the assistance of the United Nations Environment Programme. It is designed for a national audience (government officials, community leaders, and natural resource policymakers from the local and national levels) as well as for the broader international community (donors and international organisations, policymakers in neighbouring countries, and people and institutes interested in Afghanistan). The summary provides the best information on the subject in a consolidated format and identifies gaps in data on the state of the environment. The chapters of the Executive Summary include: an overview of the subject’s context; the importance and use of natural resources; current knowledge about resource conditions; and trends and linkages to regional and global factors. The report also reveals how Afghanistan’s natural resources — if managed in an efficient and sustainable manner — could provide the basis for future economic growth and stability.

“Progress Report: Capacity Building and Institutional Development Programme for Environmental Management in Afghanistan (January-December 2007).” UNEP Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch. Kabul: UNEP, 2008. 45 p. http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications.php?prog=afghanistan. The former Afghan Ministry of Irrigation, Water Resources and Environment requested the UNEP Capacity Building and Institutional Development Programme for Afghanistan as a key follow-up activity to the UNEP report entitled “Afghanistan Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment,” published in January 2003. The programme was implemented in two phases from October 2003 to December 2007. A 36-month third phase of the programme commenced in April 2008. This report follows the comprehensive progress reports for 2004, 2005 and 2006. It outlines the programme’s progress from January to December 2007, based on the nine components of the programme outlined in the original project document. The highlighted activity and outputs achieved during 2007 are summarised under the headings of: environmental coordination; priority reform and restructuring; environmental legislation; environmental impact assessment; community-based natural resource management; environmental information and monitoring; environmental education;

Tribal Maps of Afghanistan The Program for Culture & Conflict Studies of the Naval Postgraduate School website lists maps that indicate the dominant ethnicities and tribes across the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, according to US sources. The tribes presented are not the only tribes within their particular areas; they are, however, considered the dominant tribes. These maps should be considered as a guide to assist further research, and the characterizations given may be contested.

These maps are available online in PDF format at: http://www.nps.edu/Programs/CCS/Tribal_maps.html.

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and multilateral environmental agreements. This paper includes Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency Strategy (13 pages, published in March 2007) and the National Environmental Strategy (45 pages, published in Dec 2007).

Opium

Afghanistan: Opium-poppy-free Road Map and Provincial Profiles. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Kabul [?]: UNODC, June 2008. 124 p. http://www.unodc. org/documents/regional/central- a s i a / B l u e _ O p i u m %2 0 P o p p y % 2 0 R o a d m a p -W o r k % 2 0 i n %20Progress_June08.pdf. This document has been prepared to provide a brief analysis of all Afghan provinces, in terms of both counter-narcotics efforts and rule-of-law indicators. The goal is to identify and propose priority provinces (and related areas) to be targeted through a gradual approach in the coming years — first, by providing incentives and positive rewards and, second, by mapping stakeholders to enable coordination, build synergy, and increase the impact of efforts at the operational level. This approach should result in an increased number of opium-free provinces in Afghanistan, coupled with improved governance records. An earlier version of this document (79 pages) was released in December 2007.

Grare, Frédéric. “Anatomy of a Fallacy : the Senlis Council and Narcotics in Afghanistan” Working paper No. 34, Centre for International Governance Innovation, February 2008. 30 p. http://www.cigionline.org/cigi/download-nocache/Publications/workingp/anatomyofa/workingpap (PDF, 519 KB). This paper adopts a critical view of the Senlis proposals about licensing opium cultivation in Afghanistan, arguing that their underlying principles (economic, social and political) diverge only marginally from those underpinning previous approaches and have little potential for success under current political conditions. The paper concludes that, despite many imperfections, the current policies in place may be optimal, given both Afghanistan's present situation and the structural problems inherent in the global war against drugs.

Goodhand, Jonathan. Corrupting or Consolidating the Peace?: The Drugs Economy and Post-conflict Peacebuilding in Afghanistan.” International Peacekeeping 15, no.3 (June 2008): 405–423. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a793322435~db=all. This article examines how the drugs economy emerged, evolved and adapted to transformations in Afghanistan’s political economy. With a primary focus on the conflicted war to peace transition that followed the signing of the Bonn Agreement, the article explores the relationship between drugs and political (dis)order. An examination of the power relationships and institutions of extraction that developed around the drug economy is central to the analysis. Expanding upon a model developed by Snyder in 2004, it asserts that joint extraction regimes involving rulers and private actors have tended to bring political order, whereas private extraction regimes have led to decentralised violence and political breakdown. This model helps explain why in some parts of Afghanistan drugs and corruption have contributed to a level of political order whereas, in other areas, they have fuelled disorder.

“Effective Factors Associated with Drug Addiction and the Consequences of Addiction among Afghan Women.” Kabul: Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, Research and Planning Section, 2008. 26 p. http://www.aihrc.org.af/2008/Mar/Rep_Afghan_ women_Drug_Abuse.pdf (800KB). For this project, 828 individuals were interviewed in 21 provinces over a period of six months, in a random sample of various locations (health centres, carpet weaving centres and randomly chosen residential areas). A methodology combining cross-sectional surveys and observations was used to explore different aspects of addicted women’s lives. A number of difficulties were experienced during the survey: 1) at times respondents expected some sort of financial contribution from the interviewers, even though they had been briefed that completion of the questionnaire did not include any financial incentive, and interviewers felt uneasy about continuing the interviews if the respondent had asked for financial help; 2) in some communities in remote parts of the country, the concept of individual privacy does not hold in communal life, and interviewers found it very difficult to talk to respondents in private; 3) conversely, in remote areas, respondents were less sceptical about the interviewers and more likely to cooperate compared to areas closer to cities or in the cities themselves” (pages 5-7).

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Security

“Afghanistan Arms Proliferation Fuels Further Abuse.” Amnesty International Public Briefing, 3 April 2008. 6 p. http://www.humansecuritygateway.info/documents/AI_Afghanistan_armsproliferationfurtherabuse.pdf. This Amnesty International report asserts that that member states of NATO (and allied states) are supplying excessive quantities of small arms, light weapons and munitions to local Afghan security forces and police in situations where there is a substantial risk that such equipment will be used for serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Amnesty International expresses concern that civilians caught up in the armed conflict in Afghanistan are increasingly vulnerable to failures of all sides to uphold their international legal obligations (including the Afghan Government, international military forces and the Taliban). Amnesty International also expresses concern that continuing efforts by the Afghan government (supported by the international community) to strengthen effective human rights protection in the country are at risk from the impact of unchecked arms proliferation.

Afghanistan Security: Further Congressional Action may be Needed to Ensure Completion of a Detailed Plan to Develop and Sustain Capable Afghan National Security Forces. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), June 2008. 71 p. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08661.pdf (2.76 MB). “Although the Afghanistan National Police has reportedly grown in number since 2005, after an investment of over $6 billion, no police unit is fully capable and several challenges impeded US efforts to develop the police. First, less than one-quarter of police have mentors present to provide training in the field and verify that police are on duty. Second, police units continue to face shortages in equipment items...(vehicles, radios, and body armour). In addition, Afghanistan’s weak judicial system hinders effective policing and rule of law, and the ANP consistently experiences problems with pay, corruption and attacks from insurgents” (ii).

Cadieu, Trevor. “Canadian Armour in Afghanistan.” Canadian Army Journal 10, no.4 (Winter 2008): 5-25. http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/caj/documents/vol_10/iss_4/C A J _ v o l 1 0 . 4 _ 0 3 _ e . p d f ? G S B Y P A S S = 2D07D2CE1CCDB970B94408A3D20D6B83&N=GQ3HmC&M=application/pdf&D=.

Frewen, John. “Contested Nation-building: The Challenge of Countering Insurgency in Afghanistan in 2007.” Australian Army Journal 5, no. 1 (Autumn 2008): 19-37.

http://www.afghanconflictmonitor.org/AAJ_5_1.pdf. “With this account of his time in Afghanistan, the author describes some of the challenges of ‘contested nation-building’ there. This article explores the difficulties of developing civilian capacity while also participating in a counterinsurgency campaign. The author contends that Coalition military forces in Afghanistan must remain responsive to the needs and directions of the fledgling national government while developing the infrastructure required for law and order” (Abstract).

Suhrke, Astri. “A Contradictory Mission? NATO from Stabilization to Combat in Afghanistan.” International Peacekeeping 15, no. 2 (April 2008): 214-236. http://www.cmi.no/publications/publication/?3038=a-contradictory-mission (PDF, 212 KB). “Between 2001 and 2007, the United States and NATO gradually abandoned the commitment to a light military footprint in Afghanistan, initially adopted to avoid making the same mistakes as the Soviet Union. A heavy footprint, it was feared, would enable the militants to mobilize resistance in the name of Islam and Afghan nationalism. As it turned out, the militants mobilized effectively to meet the growing foreign military presence. More combat troops have given NATO some tactical victories, but the limitations and counterproductive effects of the military approach to defeat the militants tend to undermine NATO's broader stabilization function in Afghanistan, thus pointing to a fundamental contradiction in the mission. Strengthening NATO's combat role is likely to sharpen this contradiction and increase the related probability of a strategic failure” (Abstract).

Belasco, Amy. The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, 2008. 57 p. http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL33110.pdf (316 KB). With enactment of the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act on 26 December 2007, the US Congress has approved a total of approximately $700 billion for military operations, base security, reconstruction, foreign aid, embassy costs and veterans’ health care for the three operations that have been initiated since the 9/11 attacks: Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Afghanistan, and other counter-terror operations; Operation Noble Eagle (ONE), providing enhanced security at military bases; and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). As of January 2008, the US Department of Defence monthly obligations for contracts and pay averaged about $12.2 billion, including $9.8 billion for Iraq, and $2.4 billion for Afghanistan.

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Senate of Canada. “How are We Doing in Afghanistan? Canadians Need to Know.” Report of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence., second session, Thirty-ninth Parliament, 9 June 2008. 107 p. http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/defe-e/rep-e/rep09jun08-e.htm (PDF, 598 KB). “While challenges to success in Afghanistan remain formidable, we found considerable progress in the way the mission is being run. We did not, however, find improvements in the way progress is being measured or communicated to Canadians. One of the Committee’s primary conclusions is that the Government of Canada must find better ways of communicating progress (or lack of progress) to Canadians, so the Canadian public can make informed decisions as to whether the mission is worth its heavy cost, both in terms of lives lost and taxpayers’ dollars spent. The Committee continues to believe that the Canadian mission to Afghanistan is worthwhile. Whether it will continue to be worthwhile will depend on how much we continue to improve the security and the general well-being of Afghans” (Title page).

French, Nils N. “Learning from the Seven Soviet Wars: Lessons for Canada in Afghanistan.” Canadian Army Journal 10, no. 4 (Winter 2008): 36-47. http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/caj/documents/vol_10/iss_4/CAJ_vol10.4_06_e.pdf (100 KB). A brief comparative study of Soviet and recent military tactics used in Afghanistan.

Thruelsen, Peter Dahl. NATO in Afghanistan: What Lessons Are We Learning and Are We Willing to Adjust? Copenhagen: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), 2007. 52 p. ISBN: 9788776052348. http://www.diis.dk/sw45914.asp (PDF, 480 KB). This report explores the complexity of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan. The report analyses the different aspects of operations and finally lists important recommendations that should be considered if more effective operations are to be conducted and if success is to be achieved. The study examines the important lessons that can be derived from the current ISAF mission on the basis of field studies focusing on all levels of command. Overall, the findings suggest that the ISAF mission suffers from a lack of coherent political and strategic understanding of the mission, the tasks and the strategy.

House of Commons Defence Committee. “Operational costs in Afghanistan and Iraq: Spring Supplementary Estimate 2007–08.” Eighth Report of Session 2007–08. London: The Stationery Office, 2008. http://

www.publications.parl iament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmdfence/400/400.pdf (271 KB). The Spring Supplementary Estimate, presented by the Ministry of Defence, requested an additional provision of £2,192 million. Of this, £1,410.5 million was to meet the estimated additional costs of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in Financial Year 2007–08.

Yusufzai, Rahimullah. “Pakistan's Taliban: Negotiating Peace, Preparing for War.” Terrorism Focus 15, no. 18 (May 6, 2008): 6-7. http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374153 (HTML, accessed 31 July 2008). Secret peace talks between the government and the Tehrek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — an umbrella organisation of Pakistani Taliban groups — collapsed in late April 2008, but the unilateral ceasefire declared by the latter is still in place. By agreeing to continue observing the ceasefire, the TTP signalled its willingness to revive the peace negotiations, provided some of its demands were met.

Mihalka, Michael. “Pashtunistan, NATO and the Global War on Terror : “If you don’t fight, you cannot have peace in Afghanistan.”” China and Eurasia Forum Quarterly 6, no. 1 (2008): 51-78. http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/publications/CEF_quarterly.htm (PDF, 169 KB). “Since 9/11 terrorism has increased and become a prominent feature of ongoing insurgencies. NATO has become increasingly involved in one such insurgency in Afghanistan. However, perceptions of failure in Afghanistan have decreased public support for the mission and undermined support for NATO itself. Although Western public perception is one of overall failure, the situation in Afghanistan itself is quite varied. In the non-Pashtun areas of the country, the situation is improving and reconstruction is perceived by many Afghans as being effective. In Pashtun areas the opposite is true. NATO has not yet developed an effective strategy for dealing with the Pashtun insurgency in part because the Pashtun area straddles the border with Pakistan” (Abstract).

Progress in Afghanistan : Bucharest Summit 2-4 April 2008 / Brussels, Belgium : NATO, 2008. 20 p. http://www.nato.int/isaf/docu/epub/pdf/progress_afghanistan.pdf (3.2 MB). This document is a “snapshot” of where progress is being made in Afghanistan. The broad conclusion of the summit report is that the “international effort to help Afghanistan build a more stable and secure future is achievable and is being achieved” (Foreword).

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Jones, Seth G. “The Rise of Afghanistan’s Insurgency: State Failure and Jihad.” International Security 32, no. 4 (Spring 2008): 7–40. http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/isec.2008.32.4.7 (PDF, 520 KB). “This article argues that a precondition for the onset of Afghanistan’s insurgency was structural: the collapse of governance after the overthrow of the Taliban regime. Weak governance is a common precondition of insurgencies. The Afghan government was unable to provide basic services to the population; its security forces were too weak to establish law and order; and too few international forces were available to fill the gap” (page 8).

Afsar, Shahid, Chris Samples and Thomas Wood. “The Taliban: An Organisational Analysis.” Military Review (May/June 2008): 58-72. http://www.humansecuritygateway.info/documents/MILREVIEW_Taliban_Organisational_Analysis.pdf (1.95 MB). This article includes a background and description of the Taliban movement, including an organisational diagram and reporting lines.

Helmer, Daniel. “Twelve Urgent Steps of the Advisor Mission in Afghanistan.” Military Review (July/August 2008): 73-81. http://usacac.army.mil/CAC/milreview/English/JulAug08/HelmerEngJulAug08.pdf (879 KB). This short article by a former trainer (“police mentor”) in Afghanistan makes suggestions to improve counter-insurgency training. “Afghanistan is still winnable, but it is on a downward and possibly terminal spiral if we continue to operate as we are. Urgent action is needed now to repair the advisory mission to the Afghan Army and Police” (page 81).

Maloney, Sean M. “A Violent Impediment: The Evolution of Insurgent Operations in Kandahar Province, 2003-07.” Small Wars & Insurgencies 19, no. 2 (June 2008): 201-20. h t t p : / / w w w . i n f o r m a w o r l d . c o m / s m p p /content~content=a793324547~db=all~order=page. This document argues that theorising about Taliban operations in Afghanistan has its limits, and that it is possible that Kabul-centric strategies do not adequately address the unique circumstances of each region in the country. The article asks the following questions: How exactly has the Taliban gone about attaining its objectives in Kandahar Province, and how have those approaches evolved since 2002? How has the Taliban adapted to coalition forces’ attempts to compete with the insurgency and stamp it out? The article asserts that the answers to these questions are critical in the formulation of any counterinsurgency approach to Afghanistan.

Water

Dwerryhouse, Susan. “NGO Voices on Water.” ACBAR Advocacy Series. Kabul: Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), April 2008. 9 p. Also published in Pashto: دنادولتيصدای مؤسسات غير دولتی در :Also published in Dari مؤسسو غږد اوبو په هكله

آب رابطه به http://www.acbar.org/ACBAR%20Publications/NGO%20Voices%20on%20Water%20(20%20Apr%2008).pdf (286 KB). Based on priorities identified by the Afghanistan Pilot Participatory Poverty Assessment (APPPA)-target communities, a number of national and international NGOs working in the water sector were approached for participation in interviews and in subsequent round-table discussions. This paper is the result of those processes.

Women

“Gender Budgeting in Afghanistan.” Kabul: UNIFEM Afghanistan, 2008. 26 p. http://afghanistan.unifem.org/prog/GJ/pub/. “Gender budgeting seeks to break down or analyse a government’s budget according to its impact on men and women... The challenge in gender budgeting lies in translating policy commitements to gender equality and the elimination of discrimination against women into budgetary allocations and outcomes” (page 1).

Nijhowne, Diya and Lauryn Oates. Living with Violence: A National Report on Domestic Abuse in Afghanistan. Kabul: Global Rights, Partners for Justice, March 2008. 60 p. ISBN: 0977609898. For this report, women in 4700 households in 16 provinces were surveyed to produce the first report on domestic violence throughout Afghanistan, based on samples of women representative of the ethnic and geographic diversity of Afghanistan. This is also the first survey to gather statistical data from surveys with women at the household level, rather than relying on secondary sources such as records of reported violence at police stations or hospitals. In conducting this research, Global Rights partnered with four Afghan women’s organisations.

If you know of a resource not listed here, please send an email to newsletter@areu.org.af.

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Figures in thousands Source: Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2008-2009, (Kabul: Central Statistics Office, 2008), p. 1-2.

These estimates are an update to the figures cited in the Afghanistan Research Newsletter 11/12 (October 2006/January 2007), p. 4.

Updated Population Estimates for Afghanistan These figures are a recent update of official government population estimates for 2008-09 from Afghanistan’s Central Statistics Office. They are listed by province, gender and urban-rural settlement. This information is available in English and Dari.